1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally directed to frequency up-conversion of electromagnetic (EM) signals.
2. Related Art
Modern day communication systems employ components such as transmitters and receivers to transmit information from a source to a destination. To accomplish this transmission, information is imparted on a carrier signal and the carrier signal is then transmitted. Typically, the carrier signal is at a frequency higher than the baseband frequency of the information signal. Typical ways that the information is imparted on the carrier signal are called modulation.
Three widely used modulation schemes include: frequency modulation (FM), where the frequency of the carrier wave changes to reflect the information that has been modulated on the signal; phase modulation (PM), where the phase of the carrier signal changes to reflect the information imparted on it; and amplitude modulation (AM), where the amplitude of the carrier signal changes to reflect the information. Also, these modulation schemes are used in combination with each other (e.g., AM combined with FM and AM combined with PM).
The present invention is directed to methods and systems to up-convert a signal from a lower frequency to a higher frequency, and applications thereof.
In one embodiment, the invention uses a stable, low frequency signal to generate a higher frequency signal with a frequency and phase that can be used as stable references.
In another embodiment, the present invention is used as a transmitter. In this embodiment, the invention accepts an information signal at a baseband frequency and transmits a modulated signal at a frequency higher than the baseband frequency.
The methods and systems of transmitting vary slightly depending on the modulation scheme being used. For some embodiments using frequency modulation (FM) or phase modulation (PM), the information signal is used to modulate an oscillating signal to create a modulated intermediate signal. If needed, this modulated intermediate signal is xe2x80x9cshapedxe2x80x9d to provide a substantially optimum pulse-width-to-period ratio. This shaped signal is then used to control a switch which opens and closes as a function of the frequency and pulse width of the shaped signal. As a result of this opening and closing, a signal that is harmonically rich is produced with each harmonic of the harmonically rich signal being modulated substantially the same as the modulated intermediate signal. Through proper filtering, the desired harmonic (or harmonics) is selected and transmitted.
For some embodiments using amplitude modulation (AM), the switch is controlled by an unmodulated oscillating signal (which may, if needed, be shaped). As the switch opens and closes, it gates a reference signal which is the information signal. In an alternate implementation, the information signal is combined with a bias signal to create the reference signal, which is then gated. The result of the gating is a harmonically rich signal having a fundamental frequency substantially proportional to the oscillating signal and an amplitude substantially proportional to the amplitude of the reference signal. Each of the harmonics of the harmonically rich signal also have amplitudes proportional to the reference signal, and are thus considered to be amplitude modulated. Just as with the FM/PM embodiments described above, through proper filtering, the desired harmonic (or harmonics) is selected and transmitted.
Further features and advantages of the invention, as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the invention, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying figures. The left-most digit(s) of a reference number typically identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears.